


Be More Careful

by Guardian_Rose



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon Era, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 14:51:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14138337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardian_Rose/pseuds/Guardian_Rose
Summary: “Arthur.” He hissed sharply, actually trying to push him away now. “We’re not alone.”“I- Right.” Arthur leaned back on his knees, a light flush spreading over his cheeks.“You should go have Gaius check you out, Merlin.” Lance said, hoisting him up to his feet with an offered hand.





	Be More Careful

 Someone was shaking him, not too harshly as to add to the pain radiating from his head but not as gently as they could be. Merlin wasn’t sure who it was until a loud buzzing turned into words, Arthur-sounding words.

 

“Merlin? Merlin, open your eyes, you idiot.”

 

“Not right now, Arthur. I’m tired.” Merlin batted away one of the hands on his cheeks, trying to turn his face further into the grass he was lying on.

 

Gaius would likely scold him for getting his clothes so muddy again but it was Merlin who had to clean them so what did it matter in the end. He could hear Gwaine laughing loudly and Percival shushing him.

 

“Merlin! Are you okay?” Arthur sounded far too worried over the whole situation; it wasn’t uncommon for Merlin to end up like this, Arthur had told him multiple times that he was a walking accident so why was this time any different?

 

He opened his eyes to meet Arthur’s bright blue ones, they were a lot closer than he’d expected. They were, after all, in broad daylight in the middle of the training field. Hardly the best place to be so intimate when they wanted everyone to think that they were just close friends. Merlin frowned and restrained himself from covering Arthur’s hands with his, instead he pushed gently at his shoulder as if he didn’t want him close. It didn’t fool Arthur, who knew that Merlin was always happy to receive attention. The blond sighed in relief and let his forehead rest against Merlin’s.

 

“Arthur.” He hissed sharply, actually trying to push him away now. “We’re not alone.”

 

“I- Right.” Arthur leaned back on his knees, a light flush spreading over his cheeks.

 

Merlin pushed himself up until he was sitting; it was unlikely that anyone had seen, except for Arthur’s knights. They had surrounded the pair as if to give them some privacy, the man who had been the cause of it all was nowhere to be seen. Gwaine winked at Merlin, earning himself an elbow in the side from Percival.

 

“You should go have Gaius check you out, Merlin.” Lance said, hoisting him up to his feet with an offered hand; Arthur awkwardly followed suit, hovering close to Merlin as if he expected the sorcerer to collapse again at any minute.

 

“It’s fine, barely even a concussion.” Merlin waved it off, mirroring Arthur’s glare back at him.

 

“I’d rather hear it from Gaius.” Arthur muttered; the back of his hand brushed against Merlin’s, causing Merlin to jerk away and clench his hands into fists.

 

“I’m fine, _Sire_. I have business elsewhere, if you would excuse me from practice.” He ducked his head a little, eyes glaring holes into the sludge under their feet (too near to each other), he swung his hands, clasped, behind his back. His best imitation of George.

 

Arthur didn’t relax his glare, he kept lifting his foot as if to step even closer before catching himself with a brash sigh. “Right. Of course you do.”

 

“Am I excused, Sire?”

 

“What? Oh, for- yes, Merlin, you’re excused. I expect to see you with my lunch soon.”

 

“Of course, Sire.” Merlin risked a glance up and rolled his eyes at the knights shifting uneasily around them as Arthur scowled at him; he bowed his head again, biting back a self-satisfied smile.

 

****

 

Arthur shouldn’t be angry. He shouldn’t _have_ been angry and he shouldn’t still be. He’d had plenty of time since Merlin had scurried off, bruises starting to flare on his cheek and forehead; that damn sorcerer had known what he was doing as well, that had been an intentional decision to start acting like the ‘perfect manservant’. Who was he even kidding, like a _decent_ manservant. He’d done it to prove his point without having an actual argument with Arthur. It was smart. And infuriating. Gwaine hadn’t made any jokes at least, Lance had not so discreetly sent him and Percival across the field out of Arthur’s way. Lance was a blessing, Gwen was a lucky woman. Not that Arthur wasn’t lucky, he was. Merlin was perfect in every way, even when knocked out cold by an errant squire. He just wasn’t the most receptive to his worrying sometimes.

 

He understood why. Merlin wasn’t weak and he wasn’t defenceless. The bruises would likely be long gone by the time Arthur got up the courage and calm to open his own chamber door and apologise to the other man. He just had to open the door. Which was proving more difficult than he’d expected. Or hoped. Or overall thought possible. This couldn’t even be classed as a fight! At least when they were fighting Arthur had the capability to open his own goddamned door. It was inevitable really that Merlin would open it first.

 

“Arthur? What are you-“ Merlin squawked indignantly as Arthur snapped out of his thoughts and pushed him back into the room so he could shut the door and lock it, magic was likely about to come up as a topic in this…discussion and Merlin became careless when emotional.

 

“How- What did you….I…” Arthur huffed out a breath and looked Merlin in the eye, ignoring the stone walls built from anger that were glaring suspiciously back at him. “I want to apologise.”

 

“Damn right you want to apologise. What was that on the field? It’s like you aren’t even trying to keep me- _us_ out of trouble!” Merlin deflated as he finished, not quite yelling but not the soothing voice that was normal.

 

He winced and shed his cloak, pulling out one of the chairs at the table to sit down. For once, unsurprisingly, their lunch was still warm and spread out on the table. A silent apology in and of itself, though Merlin didn’t have anything to apologise for. Well. There was the whole pretending to be George thing.

 

“I’m sorry, Merlin. I really am. I shouldn’t have reacted so…openly. In future I shall restrain myself and try to be more…rational with my emotions. Especially in public.” Arthur watched out of the corner of his eye as Merlin’s face twisted and his jaw fell open.

 

“Oh. No, no. Arthur. _Arthur_. I- I don’t mean-” Merin’s voice rose with every word, his movements skittish as he hovered between sitting in the chair opposite Arthur and staying put a good few steps away.

 

“You don’t mean what, Merlin?”

 

“I don’t mean to be like your father.” Merlin winced at his own words, hastily spoken and not so easily taken back. “I mean…it’s okay for you to have irrational emotions. We all do. I mean,” he dropped his gaze to the floor sheepishly, “you should see me when something happens to you. It’s a wonder no one has figured us out already.”

 

Arthur continued to look at the warlock, searching for any hints of a lie or deceit but found none. The guilt that rose from doubting Merlin of all people, his _lover_ and his best friend, was achingly familiar since he had revealed his magic, Arthur was working on it.

 

“Thank you.” Arthur smiled softly at the raven-haired man’s wide eyes and flushed cheeks.

 

“You don’t have to thank me, Arthur. I should be the one thanking you for catching me and stopping me from cracking my head open.” Merlin smirked and pointed to where the bruises had been before, they were getting good at finding excuses for missing cuts and scrapes.

 

“Yes, well. I’ve told you often enough to be more careful of your surroundings.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3
> 
> Any and all comments welcome! Especially prompts! <3
> 
> Find me on tumblr @guardian-rose-petal


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